Ligustrum/ Privet Bonsai

"Upon finding that I work as a
professional bonsai artist, many people will remark that they once had a bonsai, but it died and with some regret, they gave up".

Based on the Bonsai Basics section of the hugely successful Bonsai4me.com website and an e-book of the same name, 'Bonsai Basics: The Foundations of Bonsai', written and developed over the past 15 years is out now!

Ligustrum is a genus
of about 50 species of deciduous, semi-evergreen, or evergreen
shrubs and trees found in woodland and thickets in Europe, north
Africa, the Himalayas, Asia and Australia. They bear opposite,
variably shaped, often glossy leaves. In summer they carry panicles
of small, unpleasantly scented white flowers followed by small
round fruit. Many species of Ligustrum are used for hedging and
this can provide an excellent source of material for bonsai. Ligustrum
make good material for beginners as they are very forgiving and
virtually indestructible.

There are many species of Privet that have good potential for
bonsai but it is the following three species that are commonly
used; (there are also many varieties of the following species
available at nurseries and garden centres which carry differing
coloured leaves; try to avoid using variegated leaves as these
rarely look good when styled as bonsai)

LIGUSTRUM OVALIFOLIUM
/Oval Leaf Privet
L. ovalifolium is a vigorous, upright, evergreen or semi-evergreen
shrub with oval, rich green leaves to 6cm long. White flowers
are borne in dense panicles to 10cm in mid-Summer followed by
spherical, shiny, black fruit. Originally native to Japan, the
Oval Leaf Privet can reach heights of 4metres with a 4metre spread.

LIGUSTRUM VULGARE /Common Privet
L. vulgare is a deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub with narrowly
oval, dark-green leaves to 6cm long. White flowers are produced
in panicles to 5cm long in early and mid-Summer followed by spherical
black fruit. In its native Europe, north Africa and Asia, the
Common Privet is less vigorous than the Oval Leaf Privet but can
still reach heights of 3metres with a 3metre spread.

LIGUSTRUM SINENSE
L. sinense is a vigorous, bushy, tree-like, deciduous or semi-evergreen
shrub with arching branches and elliptic-oblong pale green leaves
to 7cm. White flowers are profusely borne in panicles to 10cm
long in mid-Summer and are followed by black spherical fruit.
In its native China, Ligustrum sinense reaches heights of 4metres
with a 4metre spread.

Leaves from left to right;
L.vulgare, L.ovalifolium, L.japonicum

BONSAI CULTIVATION
NOTES

POSITION Full
sun or shade, Privets are very tolerant of both full sun in the
Summer and quite deep shade. Privet are fully hardy and only require
additional frost protection when temperatures drop below -10°C,
however during the winter the colder the temperatures Privet are
exposed to, the more leaves they drop; this is a natural reaction
and causes no permanent damage even when specimens lose all their
leaves in severe cold. The following Spring, new growth very quickly
replaces any foliage lost during the Winter. Ligustrum are also
sold as indoor bonsai and will also tolerate indoor growing conditions
as long as humidity levels remain reasonably high with the use
of humidity trays. Ligustrum that are left outside during the
Winter must have spent the Autumn outside in order to acclimatise
to the cold. Do not place trees that have been grown inside straight
outside in the Winter as they will not have hardened off and it
is better to leave them inside until Spring.

FEEDING Feed fortnightly during the growing season, indoor
species should only be fed monthly during the Winter whilst in
active growth.

REPOTTING Annually in Spring as new buds extend; use a
basic soil mix.

PRUNING Trim to shape through the growing season, remove
overlarge leaves and shoots with overlong internodes. Hard prune
during the late Winter or early Spring before new growth starts.
Wiring can be carried out anytime, though Spring-Summer is best.

PROPAGATION Sow seed outside in Autumn or Spring. Take
semi-ripe cuttings in Summer or hardwood cuttings in Winter. Air-layerings
can be taken in late-Spring.